Godzilla Minus Zero review

I’ve now seen Godzilla Minus Zero twice, and I thoroughly enjoyed it both times.

The action sequences are absolutely spectacular. The monsters look fantastic, and the scale and visual execution of the destruction sequences are among the film’s greatest strengths.

It’s a beautiful movie when it gets down to the business of delivering giant-monster action.

One disadvantage I had going in was that I hadn’t seen Godzilla Minus One. This film makes numerous references to its predecessor, and I occasionally felt that I was missing important context concerning the characters and their relationships.

There is also quite a bit of dialogue and character drama between the action sequences. Since the film is in Japanese, English-speaking audiences will spend considerable time reading subtitles.

That doesn’t bother me. I watch plenty of foreign-language films, and subtitles are rarely an obstacle to my enjoyment.

However, I saw the film with a group, and several people found those stretches rather slow. When the monsters weren’t on screen, they were watching extended conversations and family drama while reading subtitles. I can understand why that combination might diminish the experience for viewers primarily interested in the action.

I also thought some of the material involving the young daughter of the central characters could have been reduced. The film devotes considerable time to her emotional distress, including repeated crying scenes that eventually become tiresome. Some of that material might have been better left on the cutting-room floor.

Nevertheless, those complaints shouldn’t overshadow what the film accomplishes.

The monster sequences are magnificent. The action is dynamic, visually impressive, and consistently entertaining. It’s the kind of spectacle that benefits enormously from being experienced on a large theatrical screen.

I enjoyed it enough to see it twice, and I would certainly recommend it.